IN McKeesport Fall 2017 | Page 18

Lewis-Smith recalls. “We now have a dedicated staff of people who make it their mission to keep things running smoothly, transporting our creations back and forth between the two locations so that they are ready and waiting for our clients.” Bella Christie’s isn’t your traditional Pittsburgh bakery. “We really see ourselves as purveyors of food art, more like a boutique that sells sweet edibles instead of trinkets and clothing,” says Lewis-Smith. “I know moms always say, ‘Don’t play with your food!’ but for us—we just have to play with it!” Bella Christie’s strives to bend the constraints of what food is for: to nourish, but also entertain, enlighten or even make people laugh. The sweet boutique offers items that are both visually appealing and incredibly delicious. Because of this, event planners call on the shop to create unique and entertaining offerings for their clients’ most important events. From weddings to corporate functions and milestone celebrations, Bella Christie’s has been called upon to craft desserts that blend with the theme of the evening. It’s also been asked to create unique, interactive dessert stations that entertain guests while also providing them with delicious dessert alternatives. “With that, we noticed that over 80 percent of what we do ‘goes out the back door’—meaning we consult with clients and create unique items that we deliver to weddings and events all over Pittsburgh and now all over the country,” notes Lewis-Smith. “Many of our unique items never made it to the front of our store, and so our customers who visit our stores never had the chance to see what we really do and everything we have to offer. We received such phenomenal feedback from our clients regarding our Interactive Sugar Sweet Stations that we decided to bring the concept to our Lawrenceville location in order for everyone to experience our delicious desserts, handcrafted right before their eyes.” The location offers a rotation of over 22 interactive dessert stations that can satisfy any type of sweet craving you may have. Three different stations will be offered at a time each season—from Warm Fried Donuts and Manic Milkshakes to Wafflelicious Waffles-a-la-mode and ice cream instantly created using liquid 16 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | McKeesport Area From Warm Fried Donuts and Manic Milkshakes to Wafflelicious Waffles-a-la-mode and ice cream instantly created using liquid nitrogen— everything is made on the spot, with the customer calling the shots. nitrogen—everything is made on the spot, with the customer calling the shots. “We decided to start with our Manic Milkshakes, Wafflelicious Waffles-a-la- mode and our famous Liquid Nitrogen Ice Creamery stations this summer,” says Lewis-Smith. “We plan to rotate our station offerings each season with Warm Fried Pies and Donuts debuting this fall.” Visit Bella Christie & Lil’ Z’s Sweet Boutique at 3511 Butler Street in Lawrenceville. “Be sure to bring your phones,” adds Lewis-Smith. “Your visit promises to be filled with Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat-worthy offerings!” The shop is open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Follow on Facebook at Bella Christie & Lil’ Z’s Sweet Boutique, on Instagram @BellaChristieZ and on Snapchat at BellaChristieZ. n Wafflelicious Waffles-a-la-mode: fresh cooked Belgian waffles topped with candy, sprinkles or even cereal, and paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.